Fish for People

James and John, the sons of Zebedee and Simon Peter spent all night fishing in the Lake of Gennesaret but had come up empty. When they returned to the shore and were washing their nets, Jesus got into Simon’s boat and preached to the people who gathered to hear Him speak. After Jesus finished teaching, he asked Simon to let down his nets into the deep water for a catch. Reluctantly, the fishermen obeyed.

Their obedience paid off. Their nets broke, unable to contain the abundance of fish. They went from nothing to an excess of startling proportions. They had to take the help of other fishermen, since the catch was too big for them. When they had hauled all the fish into two boats, the boats almost sank from the weight of the bounty.

When Simon Peter saw the magnificence and greatness of Jesus, he could not help but drop to his knees and acknowledge his own sinfulness. The fishermen’s encounter with Jesus was so powerful that it caused them to leave everything and follow Jesus. Though they may not have comprehended what Jesus meant when He said they would fish for people, they had seen and heard enough to bet their lives on His calling.

This miracle forces us to evaluate our own response to Jesus’ power, authority, and sovereignty. Humble repentance and total submission are the only worthy and appropriate responses to an encounter with the person and works of Jesus. Like Simon, James, and John, our lives, too, can be transformed when we take Jesus at His Word and surrender our whole lives to Him.

Respond

• Is God calling you to do something for Him that you feel is beyond your capabilities? What is keeping you from obeying Him?
• What does it mean to follow Jesus? Does your lifestyle reflect that you’re a follower of Jesus?